Shoplifting..

[ValentineWiggins]

No, not by me!!! Was in big clothes shop in big shopping centre yesterday and overheard (could miss) the row between a woman and two staff/security. This was in the middle of the shop. They were saying they had seen her put suff in places where it was clear she was planning on stealing them; she was adamant she was planning on paying. Followed by staff saying they would call main security and the police.

Two questions really - I thought they couldn't stop you until you had left the store? And if she had decided to just walk out (presumably at this point with no items on her) could they have stopped her? Actually a third - if she had walked out with anything could they have physically restrained her anyway? I know they can say "we think you've taken something" - but can they touch you to check?

Not planning on doing it (far too law abiding)...just wondering!

[prh47bridge]

They have the same rights to stop people as anyone else. They can arrest you if you have committed or are in the act of committing an indictable offence (e.g. shoplifting) or they have reasonable grounds for suspecting you of committing an offence. If they arrest you they can use reasonable force to detain you. They can arrest you in the shop but clearly if it goes to court the prosecution case would be stronger if the defendant had left the shop without paying as it then would not be possible for them to argue that they had intended to pay but had been prevented from doing so by being arrested.

[ClaraOswald]

The person may actually be known to them as a known shoplifter, hence them following her and noticing her actions.

[ValentineWiggins]

I guess my original post wasn't clear - at this point there were no police - just store staff/security. Can non-police actually physically detain you if you just walk out? Or after you are out?

[prh47bridge]

I wasn't referring to the police. I was referring to the right of any ordinary citizen to arrest someone.